Master Key
- May 17, 2024
- Achromi
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Master Key" is an item-based exploration game with a dense world, filled with ferocious enemies, shops, weapons, and powerups. Discover secrets and dungeons across 5-20 hours of content, with no language support and minimal guidance. This game is a tribute to hiking and exploration, encouraging players to forge their own path through its story.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Master Key is a charming homage to classic Zelda games, featuring engaging exploration, clever puzzles, and a delightful 1-bit art style that evokes nostalgia.
- The game encourages players to discover secrets and solve challenges without any text, relying solely on visual cues, which enhances the sense of adventure and discovery.
- The adjustable difficulty settings allow players to tailor their experience, making it accessible for both casual gamers and those seeking a more challenging experience.
- Combat can be frustrating due to enemy hitboxes and the lack of invincibility frames, leading to instances of getting stun-locked or overwhelmed by enemies.
- The game's minimalist design can sometimes make it difficult to discern where to go next or what items do, resulting in potential confusion and backtracking.
- Some players may find the lack of clear indicators for completed areas and the need for grinding to purchase upgrades tedious and detracting from the overall experience.
- graphics37 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming 1-bit art style that pays homage to classic Game Boy titles, featuring a customizable color palette. While the minimalistic visuals can sometimes hinder visibility and make it difficult to discern paths and enemies, they are generally well-executed and contribute to the game's nostalgic aesthetic. Overall, the graphics are simple yet effective, complementing the gameplay and exploration elements, and are appreciated for their clean animations and personality.
“I'm honestly pretty amazed at how well the developer was able to pull off the '1-bit' art style.”
“The 1-bit graphics are really well executed and the world and dungeon design is great.”
“Beautiful 1-bit pixel art style.”
“The graphics are simple—only two colors (although the palette is customizable).”
“Apart from that, the game's graphics are serviceable, but there are times when it's hard to make things out.”
“I thought I'd enjoy the 8-bit Zelda homage part in theory but did not in practice, particularly with the difficult visibility at times due to the black and white art style and the surprisingly tanky enemies that made the combat feel a bit clunky for me.”
- music33 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its nostalgic chiptune style and emotional resonance that enhances the gameplay experience. Composed by Noé Guiton, the soundtrack is described as catchy, well-crafted, and perfectly suited to the game's vibrant world, making it memorable and enjoyable throughout. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's charm and atmosphere, leaving a lasting impression on players.
“The music is spectacular, and it feels like every screen hides a secret or two.”
“The composer absolutely nailed the fun, adventurous spirit of a 2D Zelda game, and I've found multiple of the songs stuck in my head.”
“The soundtrack deserves a special mention; it's catchy and will stick with you long after you’ve put down the controller.”
“The music is ok.”
“I wouldn't listen to this OST by itself like with some other games, but it was very good for the time I spent with it in-game.”
“The music.”
- gameplay15 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its fluid mechanics, rewarding exploration, and clever puzzles, all set within a charming, minimalist aesthetic. Players appreciate the blend of traditional and innovative elements, though some mechanics could benefit from clearer explanations, particularly for newcomers. Overall, the experience is described as both nostalgic and refreshing, with satisfying combat and a strong sense of adventure.
“The gameplay is very fluid and well-tuned, the music spectacular, and it feels like every screen hides a secret or two.”
“Satisfying gameplay, rewarding exploration and puzzle-solving, and an appealing Game Boy aesthetic with an excellent matching soundtrack to boot.”
“The gameplay is both familiar and refreshing, with puzzles that are challenging yet fair, and combat that feels precise and satisfying.”
“The gameplay is not perfect.”
“As I said above, the bosses have incredible design, but it was slightly worsened by how long the fights were, how much damage their simple attacks do, the lack of healing spawned by mechanics of the fight, and how hard it was to predict/dodge a small amount of their attacks.”
“Towards the 2nd half of the game, there were some mechanics that I wish were explained, such as destroying trees & dungeon walls, and swimming up waterfalls.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often feeling like a chore rather than an engaging challenge. The need to grind for money to purchase key items, coupled with difficult enemy interactions and labyrinthine navigation, detracts from the overall enjoyment, despite some praise for the boss combat and puzzle design. Many reviewers express a desire for a more streamlined experience that reduces unnecessary grinding and enhances gameplay flow.
“It only took less than 2 hours to see this game is full of frustration and tedious, almost unnecessary, difficulty.”
“If you're not a skilled gamer, you might just think, 'well, the game is hard.' Experienced players, though, can tell the difference between a game that is hard but fun and well-designed, and a game that is just tedious, frustrating, and unfun.”
“Lots of key items need to be bought, not found, which in turn leads to just grinding money, typically an unfun activity.”
- story6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal, primarily conveyed through environmental clues rather than text, focusing on the quest to unlock a sealed power from an ancient civilization. While the narrative depth is limited, players appreciate the charm and personality of the world, which encourages exploration and discovery without being gated by the story. Overall, it offers a rich exploration experience despite its lack of a traditional narrative.
“This is a Zelda clone starring a fox, with difficult combat but no text, where you spend the game working to unlock a terrible power that was sealed away by an ancient civilization, with a backstory told by environmental clues.”
“It was only late in the game when I said to myself, 'Okay, I should stop doing the main quest and see what random grottos/caves I haven't gone in that might have secrets in them,' that I discovered this place, and the item inside would have been extremely helpful for progression, quality of life, and discovery.”
“The store page doesn't lie; nothing is story gated, you can explore as far as you like so long as you have the proper abilities.”
“This is a Zelda clone starring a fox, with difficult combat but no text, where you spend the game working to unlock a terrible power that was sealed away by an ancient civilization (a backstory told by environmental clues), with a postgame full of ARG-like puzzles involving finding and deciphering hidden sequences of directions.”
“I don't get the sense that there's much story, world, or lore depth to dig into, having completed nearly 100%, but it's a really meaty exploration game with decent combat and plenty of everything to dig your teeth into.”
“Since there is no text, don't expect a huge story.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a longing for emotional experiences reminiscent of classic games like Link's Awakening, highlighting that while titles like Elden Ring evoke strong feelings, they do so in fundamentally different ways. The emotional impact of games varies significantly, with some eliciting nostalgia and others provoking tears for distinct reasons.
“I've been looking for a game that made me feel the way I did when I first played Link's Awakening.”
“Elden Ring, this is not (thank goodness; Elden Ring is a top-10 game for me, but for wildly different reasons than Link’s Awakening. It also made me cry for wildly different reasons than Link’s Awakening).”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the humor in the game, often finding themselves amused by unexpected deaths and the challenges posed by obscure puzzles, which contribute to a lighthearted and entertaining experience.
“I found myself laughing and being very amused by unexpected deaths and getting stuck on some of the obscure puzzles.”
“The humor in this game is top-notch; I couldn't stop chuckling at the witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions.”
“Every time I thought I had it figured out, the game threw a curveball that had me in stitches!”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is somewhat inconsistent, with users reporting minor bugs and occasional crashes; however, the developer is actively engaged in the community to address these issues.
“It is a bit buggy, and I encountered a crash myself, but the developer is active in the community hub working towards troubleshooting.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
“I experienced multiple stability issues, including random freezes and crashes during gameplay.”
